Wanfu Pawnshop was extremely bustling yesterday.
Right after the opening ceremony, people immediately showed up with their treasures in their arms.
"This blue - and - white plum vase from the previous dynasty is a family heirloom of ours. It's worth at least 300 taels! I wouldn't have been willing to pawn it if I wasn't in urgent need of money!"
The man below the counter tilted his head back and handed up a porcelain vase wrapped in coarse cloth.
He was of medium height but very thin, looking like a slender bamboo pole.
However, although he came to pawn something, he didn't seem very concerned about the family heirloom he had handed in. Instead, he squinted his long, narrow eyes and kept on tiptoeing, trying to peek inside.
"What are you looking at!"
Wu Yao roared, scaring the thin man into a start.
"I... this is my family heirloom. What if you break it?"
The thin man craned his neck and shouted.
Wu Yao snorted, "Do you understand the rules? The inside of the counter is not a place for you to peek around!"
Actually, he didn't know what the rules of a pawnshop were, but Xiao Jingnan had told him that as a clerk in a pawnshop, he had to be tough and overbearing.
The tougher and more overbearing he was, the more professional others would think he was.
Wu Yao's voice was loud, and he looked ferocious. The man indeed shrank his neck and stopped talking.
Uncle Zhong took the porcelain vase. As soon as he lifted the coarse cloth, he frowned.
But he said nothing. He just told Lu Ping to take the vase to the back hall for the Princess and the Prince of Ning to take a look.
After a while, Lu Ping came back and whispered a few words in Uncle Zhong's ear.
Uncle Zhong sneered, stared into the man's eyes below, looked down at him haughtily for a moment, and then slowly said, "You dare to come here to swindle money. Don't you even bother to find out who opened this pawnshop!"
The thin man was startled. He rolled his eyes and pretended to be calm. "What are you talking about? Who's swindling money? This is a blue - and - white porcelain from the previous dynasty, a family heirloom. Can't you tell?"
Uncle Zhong threw the cloth - wrapped vase down, right into his arms. "From the previous dynasty? More like from the day before yesterday!"
"Our chief appraiser said that the blue - and - white porcelain from the previous dynasty used Su - Ma - Li - Qing cobalt pigment. The color was indigo and vivid, with rust - like streaks. But the blue on yours looks floating. It's obviously not from the previous dynasty."
"As for the shape, the mouth of your plum vase is wide and curved, wide enough to fit a copper coin. This style only became popular in this dynasty. Where did you get the idea that it's from the previous dynasty?"
"Finally, let's talk about the glaze. For a real, high - quality blue - and - white porcelain, the glaze is white, bright, and thick, with even bubbles. The blue - and - white pattern is deeply embedded in the porcelain, and the brushstrokes are elegant and generous... Which of these qualities does your shabby vase have?"
Actually, Uncle Zhong had noticed something was wrong as soon as he took the vase. It was too light, and the color looked fake. He knew at once that it wasn't a good thing.
But he wasn't as knowledgeable as the Princess of Ning, so he still took the vase to the back hall for her to examine.
When the Princess of Ning instantly judged its authenticity and explained it so clearly, Uncle Zhong felt confident. He came out without hesitation to scold the man and relayed the Princess's words exactly.
The thin man didn't expect him to be so well - informed. He couldn't help hesitating.
After some hesitation, he still asked, "Then how much do you think it can be pawned for? Just name a price!"
Uncle Zhong held up three fingers above his head.
"Thirty... thirty taels?"
A hint of joy flashed across the thin man's face, but he quickly suppressed it. He shook his head. "No, no. Thirty taels is too low. Even if this plum vase is not an antique from the previous dynasty, it's still a high - quality blue - and - white porcelain. It definitely can't be pawned for only thirty taels..."
"Are you daydreaming!"
Uncle Zhong said disdainfully, "Our shopkeeper said that this vase is only worth thirty wen at most!"
"What!"
The thin man's eyes widened, as if he had been hit on the head with a club.
"Thirty wen. You're too harsh..."
Uncle Zhong gave a look, and Wu Yao came over to drive the man away. "Are you going to pawn it or not? If not, get out. Don't delay our business!"
The thin man hesitated for a moment, then hugged the package. "I won't pawn it!"
After he walked out of the pawnshop, a group of people immediately surrounded him. "How about it? How much did you get?"
The thin man said aggrievedly, "What do you mean how much? I couldn't pawn it. They only offered me thirty wen. That's too low..."
Everyone around was shocked. "Thirty wen? Their offer is so harsh?"
A middle - aged scholar - looking man beside them mused, "Thirty wen... Your vase is only worth about one qian of silver at most. Their offer of thirty wen is exactly one - third of its value. This price can't be said to be unreasonable. But for a newly - opened pawnshop, it's a bit too accurate."
The thin man angrily cursed, "We're all rough guys. We don't understand so much! Ma Wu told us to ask for a high price. He also said that this is a newly - opened pawnshop and the people inside don't understand the market. He told us to take advantage of them like they're fools!"
"But the shopkeeper offered thirty wen right away, leaving no room for negotiation... If I had pawned it, I would have been the real fool!"
After saying that, the thin man angrily pushed the crowd away and went home cursing.
"So... shall we still pawn our things?"
Everyone asked hesitantly.
The middle - aged scholar paused for a moment and said, "Of course. Why not? As long as they make a mistake in appraisal, we'll make a profit!"
"Right! We won't know if there are dates on the tree until we hit it a few times!"
"That's right. We have so many people and so many things. Can they appraise every single one of them accurately?"
"Anyway, the things in our hands aren't worth much. We can make a little if we can."
After reaching an agreement, the crowd rushed into the pawnshop.
Wu Yao didn't expect so many people to come suddenly. He quickly stood in front of the counter and loudly scolded them to line up. Then he helped to pass the things in their hands onto the counter.
Uncle Zhong also didn't expect the business to be so good on the opening day. He quickly took the things from Wu Yao.
All kinds of packages and boxes were passed up one by one.
Uncle Zhong arranged these so - called "treasures" neatly on the counter. When he opened them, his eyebrows couldn't help but frown.
What were these?
Used teacups.
Worn - out clothes.
A censer with a missing corner.
And there was even a bowl that was obviously used for breakfast. There were still rice grains sticking to the edge of the bowl...
What was going on?
Did the pawnshops in the capital usually accept such things?
Was this still a pawnshop or a charity hall?
Moreover, these people below were all shouting, "This is a 300 - year - old bowl!" "This is a cup used by a prince from the previous dynasty!" "This is high - quality Shu brocade!"
Shu brocade?
A prince's cup?
Uncle Zhong rubbed his eyes. He couldn't help but doubt himself.
The dull pattern, the rough weaving, and the crooked designs. Which of these characteristics resembled Shu brocade?
Uncle Zhong instinctively felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't tell what it was.
He had no choice but to ask Lu Ping to take the things in one by one.
After a while, Lu Ping came out and directly said, "Our chief appraiser said that all your things together are only worth two taels. Those who are willing to pawn can stay. Those who aren't, please go back."
As soon as these words were spoken, the people below erupted.
"Two taels? You're just trying to cheat us!"
...
Inside the inner hall, the Princess of Ning was a bit uneasy.
"Yuancheng, isn't the price you set too low?"
She was accurate in appraising things. At a glance, she could tell that none of those things were genuine, and their craftsmanship was quite rough. They weren't worth much.
But she had lived a privileged life for many years and knew little about the world. She didn't understand the market prices of these things either. So she left the task of setting the price to the Prince of Ning.
The Prince of Ning took a glance and reported the "high" price of "two taels".
Hearing the noisy voices outside, the Princess of Ning couldn't help but worry.
The Prince of Ning casually took a sip of tea. "Too low?"
"A bunch of broken porcelain and rags dare to be brought here to be pawned. If it were another pawnshop, they would have been beaten out long ago! I've been kind enough to talk to them nicely."
He put down the teacup, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
"To come up with such a shabby trick to try to cheat my daughter - in - law... Chen Jinde, you're not as noble as you think you are!"